Children represent 24 percent of the population. Yet, they
comprise 34 percent of all people in poverty.1 Among all children under 18, 44
percent live in low-income families and approximately one in every
five (21 percent) live in poor families. Winding up in a low-income
or poor family does not happen by chance. There are a range of
factors associated with children’s experiences of economic
insecurity, including race/ ethnicity and parents’
educational attainment and employment. This fact sheet, which is an
update to the series based on the 2010 American Community Survey
(ACS), describes the demographic, socio-economic, and geographic
characteristics of children and their parents – highlighting
the important factors that appear to distinguish low-income and
poor children from their less disadvantaged counterparts.

How many children under age 18 in the United States live in
low-income families?

Is a poverty-level income enough to support a family?

Research suggests that, on average, families need an income
equal to about two times the federal poverty level to meet their
most basic needs.3 Families with incomes below
this level are referred to as low income:

$44,700 for a family of four.

$37,060 for a family of three.

$29,420 for a family of two.

These dollar amounts approximate the average minimum income
families need to make ends meet, but actual expenses vary greatly
by locality. For a family of four, the cost of basic family
expenses is about $64,000 per year in Los Angeles, CA, $57,000 in
Newark, NJ, $47,000 In Billings, MT, and $42,000 in Jackson, MI.4 The U.S. Census Bureau recently
developed a new supplemental poverty measure that reflects a more
comprehensive estimate of the resources families have at their
disposal and sets the thresholds at a dollar amount representative
of what families need to purchase a bundle of commodities beyond
just food. In addition, the new supplemental measure is sensitive
to the needs of different family types as well as geographic
differences in housing costs.

Has the percentage of children living in low-income and poor
families changed over time?

The percentage of children living in low-income families (both
poor and near poor) has been on the rise – increasing from 40
percent in 2005 to 44 percent in 2010. During this time period, the
overall number of children of all ages increased by nearly two
percent while the numbers who were low-income and poor increased by
11 percent and 17 percent, respectively.

Does the percentage of children in low-income families vary by
children’s age?

Figure 5: Percentage of children in low-income and poor families
by age, 2010

The overall percentages of children living in low-income and
poor families mask important variation by age. Although children
under age 6 represent 33 percent of the population under age 18,
they are disproportionately low income.

48 percent of children under age 3 – 5.7 million –
live in low-income families.

48 percent of children ages 3 through 5 years – 5.8
million – live in low-income families.

44 percent of children ages 6 through 11 years – 10.7
million live in low-income families.

40 percent of children ages 12 through 17 years – 9.8
million – live in low-income families.

Does the percentage of children in low-income families vary by
race/ethnicity?5

Figure 7: Percentage of children in low-income and poor families
by race/ethnicity, 2010

Black, American Indian, and Hispanic children comprise a
disproportionate share of the low-income population under age 18.
Together, they represent 38 percent of all children but more than
one-half (54 percent) of low-income children. They are also more
than twice as likely to live in a low-income family compared to
white and Asian children.

31 percent of white children – 12.1 million – live
in low-income families.

64 percent of black children – 6.5 million – live
in low-income families.

31 percent of Asian children – 1.0 million – live
in low-income families.

63 percent of American Indian children – 0.4 million
– live in low-income families.

43 percent of children of some other race – 1.3 million
– live in low-income families.

63 percent of Hispanic children – 10.7 million –
live in low-income families.

Does the percentage of children in low-income families vary by
parents’ country of birth?6

61 percent of children of immigrant parents – 8.1 million
– live in low-income families.

41 percent of children of native born parents – 22.4
million – live in low-income families.

What are the family characteristics of low-income and poor
children?

Higher levels of parents’ education decrease the
likelihood that a child will live in a low-income or poor family.
Yet, 46 percent of low-income children and over one-third (38
percent) of poor children have a parent with at least some
college.

85 percent of children with parents who have less than a high
school degree – 7.4 million – live in low-income
families.

65 percent of children with parents who have no more than a
high school degree – 9.8 million – live in low-income
families.

30 percent of children with at least one parent who has some
college or more education – 14.7 million – live in
low-income families.

Figure 9: Percentage of children in low-income and poor families
by parents’ employment and education, 2010

Although children with a full-time, year-round employed parent
comprise about 47 percent of the low-income population, they are
less likely to be living in a low-income family compared to
children with parents who work part-time/part-year or who are not
employed.

29 percent of children with at least one parent who works
full-time, year-round – 14.9 million – live in
low-income families.

73 percent of children with at least one parent who works
part-time or part-year – 10.5 million – live in
low-income families.

88 percent of children with no employed parents – 6.4
million – live in low-income families.

Family Structure

About one-half of children (49 percent) in low-income families
– 15.5 million – and 37 percent of children in poor
families – 5.8 million – live with married parents.

32 percent of all children with married parents – 15.5
million – live in low-income families.

69 percent of all children with a single parent – 16.4
million – live in low-income families.

Does the percentage of children in low-income families vary by
where they live?

Residential Instability and Home Ownership

Figure 11: Residential instability and home ownership by family
income, 2010

Research suggests that stable housing is important for healthy
child development.9 Yet, relative to children
living in families that are not low income, children living in
low-income families are two times as likely to have moved in the
past year and three times as likely to live in families that rent a
home.

22 percent of children in low-income families – 6.9
million – moved in the last year.

11 percent of children in above low-income families – 4.4
million – moved in the last year.

61 percent of children in low-income families – 19.4
million – live with a family that rents a home.

19 percent of children in above low-income families – 7.8
million – live with a family that rents a home.

Are children in low-income families covered by health
insurance?

Figure 13: Type of health insurance coverage among all children
by family income, 2010

Among all children under age 18, approximately 12 percent in
low-income families and 11 percent in poor families are without
health insurance coverage. Consistent with research suggesting
older children in general are particularly at risk of being
uninsured, children ages 12 through 17 in low-income and poor
families are more likely to be uninsured compared to younger
children in low-income and poor families.10 Public insurance reaches the
largest share of economically disadvantaged children covering 65
percent of low-income children and 78 percent of poor children.

12 percent of children living in low-income families –
3.7 million – are uninsured.

28 percent of children living in low-income families –
9.0 million – are covered by private insurance.11

65 percent of children living in low-income families –
20.7 million – are covered by public insurance.11

Endnotes

This fact sheet is part of the National Center for Children in Poverty’s demographic fact sheet series and is updated annually. However, estimates published in this year’s fact sheet are not directly comparable with earlier years, as the data analyzed have changed from the Current Population Survey (used in previous years) to the American Community Survey (ACS). Unless otherwise noted, analysis of the 2010 American Community Survey (ACS) was conducted by Sophia Addy and Vanessa R. Wight of NCCP. Yumiko Aratani provided feedback that contributed to the analysis. Estimates include children living in households with at least one parent and most children living apart from both parents (for example, children being raised by grandparents). Children living independently, living with a spouse, or in group quarters are excluded from these data. Children ages 14 and under living with only unrelated adults were not included because data on their income status were not available. Among children who do not live with at least one parent, parental characteristics are those of the householder and/or the householder’s spouse. Special thanks to Morris Ardoin, Amy Palmisano, and Telly Valdellon.

1. In this fact sheet, poverty is defined using the U.S. Census Bureau’s official measure. Children in families with income less than 100 percent of the poverty threshold are considered poor. Children in families with income less than 200 percent of the poverty threshold are considered low income.

2. These numbers are from the federal poverty guidelines issued annually by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The demographic findings in this fact sheet were calculated using more complex versions of the federal poverty measure – the thresholds issued by the U.S. Census Bureau. Please see http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/11poverty.shtml for the 2011 poverty thresholds. For more information on measuring poverty and the differences between the federal poverty guidelines and the thresholds, see the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website.

3. Cauthen, N. K., & Fass, S. (2008). Measuring income and poverty in the United States. New York, NY: National Center for Children in Poverty, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health.

5. In the most recent ACS, parents could report children’s race as one or more of the following: “White,” “Black,” “American Indian or Alaska Native,” or “Asian and/or Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.” In a separate question, parents could report whether their children were of Hispanic origin. For the data reported, children whose parent reported their race as White, Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Asian and/ or Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and their ethnicity as non-Hispanic are assigned their respective race. Children who were reported to be of more than one race were assigned as Other. Children whose parent identified them as Hispanic were categorized as Hispanic, regardless of their reported race.

6. Children living in households with one immigrant parent and one native-born parent (approximately 4.0 million) are not included in these estimates.

7. Parent’s education is the education level of the most highly educated parent living in the household. Parents can either have no high school degree; a high school degree, but no college; or some college or more.

8. Parent’s employment is the employment level of the parent in the household who maintained the highest level of employment in the previous year. Parents can either have no employment in the previous year, part-year or part-time employment, or full-time, year-round employment. Part-year or part-time employment is defined as either working less than 50 weeks in the previous year or less than 35 hours per week. Full-time, year-round employment is defined as working at least 50 weeks in the previous year and 35 hours or more per week for more than half the year.

9. Aratani, Y. (2009). Homeless children and youth. New York, NY: National Center for Children in Poverty, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health.

10. Schwarz, S. W. (2009). Adolescent mental health in the United States. New York, NY: National Center for Children in Poverty, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health.

11. People can report more than one type of insurance coverage. Children not covered by private or public health insurance at the time of the survey are considered uninsured.